In the words of the mjuahideen fighters zenith military classics jalali, ali ahmad on. Mujahideen definition of mujahideen by the free dictionary. Mujahedeen khalq definition of mujahedeen khalq by the. Should the regime fall in tehran, iran could become. Gallery it advocates overthrowing the islamic republic of iran leadership and installing its own government. Sazmane mojahedine khalqe iran, abbreviated mek, pmoi or mko is an iranian. The mujahideene khalq have been providing information about the iranian regimes operations both in terms of their terrorist operation and their nuclear weapons program in open, public press. Mujahedine khalq mek shackled by a twisted history lincoln p. Thus, a mujahid is someone who struggles or someone who fights. The following is an interview i conducted via email with osli jazexhi, an albanianbased, canadianalbanian historian who specializes in the history of islam, nationalism and religious reformation in southeastern europe.
The word mujahideen comes from the same arabic root as jihad, which means struggle. In 1997, the clinton administration added the mek to the state departments blacklist in what a senior administration official, according to. Drawing on all available sources including interviews with past and present members of the mojahedin, ervand abrahamian traces their organization from the 1960s to today. Joint special operations command trained operatives from mujahideenekhalq, or mek, at a secret. Ambassador, and other violent attacks in iran before the 1979 revolution. The peoples mujahedin of iran pmoi, also mek, mko persian. They appropriated the mek name, and in a book entitled manifesto on. The fascinating story of the controversial life of camp ashraf in iraq from its foundation in 1986 to the present day is told in this book. Mko mek mojahedin khalq in us lobbiesiran interlink mek. Mujahedeen khalq synonyms, mujahedeen khalq pronunciation, mujahedeen khalq translation, english dictionary definition of mujahedeen khalq. Terrorists, cultists or champions of iranian democracy. The mek in albania americans championed mujahideen e khalq mek. The christian science monitor is an international news organization that delivers thoughtful, global coverage via its website, weekly magazine, online daily edition, and email newsletters.
Well, the peoples mujahideen, otherwise known as the mujahideene khalq, called monafeqin hypocrites by their detractors and either pmoi, mko or mek for short, have been around. Bolton has also long backed a cultlike iranian opposition group, the mujahideene khalq, or m. The terrorist argument uses nine case studies of how armed groups have used communications techniques with varying degrees of success. By a forthcoming edict of the state department, you can now no longer call the mujahideene khalq formerly saddam husseins proxies. Bloomfields book raises painful questions about the limits of. The peoples mujahedin organization of iran, or the mujahedine khalq is an iranian. Mko, and the peoples mujahideen of iran pmoi, the mujahideene khalq mek is the primary opposition to the islamic republic of iran.
The story of the peoples mujahedin of iran, also known as the mujahedin e khalq mek, is all about the way image management can enable a. Operation cyclone was the code name for the united states central intelligence agency cia program to arm and finance the mujahideen in afghanistan from 1979 to 1989, prior to and during the military. The mujahedeenekhalq, an exiled iranian resistance group, continues to stir controversy despite its removal from a u. Arabic mujahidin, plural of mujahid, literally, person who wages jihad. The mujahedine khalq pmoimek was founded in 1965 by three muslim university graduates and sought to replace the shahs dictatorship with a representative government that. Sorry i used this framework to send you an email, since i could not find other way. Peoples mujahedin of iran wikipedia republished wiki 2. Washingtons favorite iranian terrorist group has likely won. Mujahedeene khalq mek sazmane mojahedine khalqe iran mujahedine khalq organization mko national liberation army of iran nla. Who are the peoples mujahedin of iran also known as mek.
Its arabic singular, mujahid, was not an uncommon personal name from the early islamic period onward. Mujahideen definition is islamic guerrilla fighters especially in the middle east. Giving the mujahideene khalq a voice in the white house is a terrible idea. The mujahideene khalq mek is an exiled opposition group that backs the overthrow of the islamic. Official website of iranian opposition group pmoimek mujahedin e khalq. No other book has matched such a magnificent factual history of the mek. From the mujahedine khalq mekshackled by a twisted history. Mujahideene khalq, an iraqbased group founded to fight irans regime, may. In this book a leading authority on iranian political parties offers the first history of this littleknown underground group. Helping mujahideenekhalq the american conservative. Theres no connection between most of the groups, and some of them have fought each other.
Iranian cult is no longer officially a terrorist group wired. For over a decade bolton has been a wellpaid supporter of the mujahideene khalq mek, a cultish iranian terrorist organization that had first opposed the shah. Mujahideen definition of mujahideen by merriamwebster. Abrahamian, thus began an act of violence unprecedented in iranian history. Mujahedeenekhalq fact freeh a history of louis freeh.
A marxian iranian exile group with cultlike qualities. The following is an interview i conducted via email with osli jazexhi, an albanianbased, canadianalbanian historian who. What is the relationship between the mujahideen and the. The story of this group, which was formed by student intellectuals during the 1960s to oppose the shah of iran but became an enemy of the clerical. The peoples mujahedin organization of iran, or the mujahedine khalq, is an iranian politicalmilitant organization. Founded in september 5, 1965 by a group of leftist muslim iranian university.
But it is undeniable that the one group most opposed to the extension of sciris influence throughout iraq is the mujahideenekhalq mek, the. Widely regarded as a cult, the mek was once designated as a terrorist organisation by the us and uk, but its opposition to. Islamist guerrilla fighters known as mujahideen from arabic mujahidun, those engaged in jihad battled the communist government of. Jason rezaian comments on boltons enthusiasm for the mujahideene khalq mek and what it means for u. Newspaper article the christian science monitor inside a group caught between three powers. The mek was the first iranian organization to develop systematically a modern revolutionary interpretation of islam an interpretation that differed sharply from both the old conservative islam of the traditional clergy and the new populist version formulated in the 1970s. The mujahideene khalq mek also known as pmoi, mko, ncri, muslim iranian students, society, organization of the people,s holy warriors of iran, the national liberation army, sazemane. He holds a phd in history from the university of chicago, and resides in lancaster, pa. The peoples mojahedin organization of iran or the mojahedine khalq persian. Peoples mujahedin of iran is an iranian exile organization officially declared a terrorist organization both in the united states and iran. Lots of different groups have called themselves mujahideen. John bolton wants regime change in iran, and so does the. The mek in albania americans championed mujahideenekhalq mek. Peoples mojahedin organization of iran the pmoimek seeks to replace irans religious dictatorship with a secular, pluralistic, democratic government that respects individual freedoms and gender equality.
The iranian mujahideen mujahideene khalq mek youtube. Iranians have suffered disproportionately in their history and deserve a real chance at freedom and democracy. That it is doing so intentionally seems highly improbable. A brief history of the mek prior to operation iraqi freedom. It advocates overthrowing the islamic republic of iran leadership and installing its own government. It was here that the joint special operations command jsoc conducted training, beginning in 2005, for members of the mujahideenekhalq, a dissident iranian opposition group known. The mek is the type of fringe group that sets up camp across the. Peoples mujahedin of iran communpedia, the communist. The meks history is filled with antiwestern attacks as well. Gallery the peoples mojahedin organization of iran, or the mojahedine khalq. Mujahedine khalq mek shackled by a twisted history. Mujahideen, in its broadest sense, those muslims who proclaim themselves warriors for the faith. Bachmann and the mujahideen ekhalq commentary magazine. Writing for the new yorker magazine, pulitzer prizewinning journalist seymour hersh reports u.
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